Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Countdown to Halloween - The Halloween Tree

Okay, the Halloween Tree...to be honest I had no idea these things had become so, well mainstream... but a quick google search will bring you any number of places selling Halloween trees ranging from the table top display size right on up to the full 7' black pine tree with black poison berries (which I personally think is pretty damn sweet and I will be acquiring for next year hee hee hee).

I tried real hard to find out where these trees got their start, ya know like Christmas trees having their start with vikings nailing trees to the ceilings of their houses...I dunno it's sumthin like that, hell this is a Halloween Countdown not a Christmas one so let it slide.

Now what was I saying? Oh yeah, tried to find out how this whole Halloween tree thing got started and you know what? No one seems to know...or at least they aren't telling me. Best I can gather is things got rolling with the Ray Bradbury book The Halloween Tree which is a tale set on Halloween night. In the story eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. Along the way, they learn the origins of the holiday that they celebrate, and the role that the fear of death has played in shaping civilization. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's. In the story the Halloween Tree itself, with its many branches laden with jack-o'-lanterns, serves as a metaphor for the historical confluence of these traditions.
That work for everyone?

Hey whatever makes ya happy, I'll stick with the first one myself. Anyhow, Lets say you wanna add one of these trees to your Halloween decorations. You can get a few dead sticks and bundle them together to make a neat looking dead tree or get an old Christmas tree and some black spray paint and go to town.

Once the Halloween tree is dry and aired out from the smell of paint, you can bring the tree inside and begin to decorate. When it comes to decorating your Halloween tree don't be afraid to be creative. Some people enjoy choosing themes each year for their tree while others prefer a random expression of Halloween. Just google Halloween tree decorations, make sure you have a lot of free time though there are alot of them out there.

Now when it comes to Christmas trees, you put presents under the tree. With the Halloween tree you can do it too, on the night of Halloween, you can unwrap the packages under the Halloween tree. Presents that could include candy or small toys that just spring out and scare girls and boys (sorry, had a NBC moment).

Like I said I'm gonna be adding this to the Fink household celebration of the high holiday next year so I'm going to follow up this post with one covering the myriad Halloween Tree Ornaments and decorations out there...stay tuned.....